Ohio

Proponents have decided to withdraw the paid sick leave initiative, citing strong opposition as the reason for the sudden change. See Ohio Healthy Families Act (2008) for more information.

Residents of a Butler County homeless shelter said they were paid $1 apiece this summer to sign a petition seeking to repeal a new state law regulating payday lenders.

If true, people who paid for their signatures can be charged with a fifth-degree felony under Ohio law, punishable by a fine of $2,500 and up to 12 months in prison for each instance.

But proving and prosecuting such offenses is rare – no one could recall a case in recent history.

Groups backing the petition drive said if there were violations, they want to see the evidence – and promised to take action if it were true.^[1] Read the full story

The big, expensive fight to get rid of one of the nation's toughest payday lending laws may not get decided until Nov. 4, but a major preliminary battle will take place on Thursday, Aug. 14.

The two sides that day will go head to head over which one of them gets to ask voters to just say No.

In May, the General Assembly passed a law that slashes the permitted annual interest rate on short-term payday loans to 28 percent, down from 391 percent.

If the payday lenders don't get 241,365 valid signatures from Ohio voters by Aug. 31, the law takes effect the next day. The industry has already spent more than $800,000 and launched a statewide TV ad in a push for signatures.

In anticipation that they'll get on the ballot, the payday lenders will go before the Ohio Ballot Board on Thursday, Aug. 14, to try to craft the wording to their advantage and to get the coveted "No" side.

The anti-payday lending forces — a coalition of political leaders and advocates for the poor – will do the same.

Both sides want No because when it comes to statewide ballot issues, if voters are confused, they usually say "No thanks."^[2] Read the full story

• Ohio 2008 ballot measures
• List of Ohio ballot measures from 1913-2007.

• information coming soon

• Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Ohio
• Ohio signature requirements
• Ohio campaign finance requirements
• Laws governing the initiative process in Ohio
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Ohio

• Ohio media

• Ohio vote fraud

• About Ohio
• Official Ohio website
• Secretary of State's website

Key government officials

• Ohio Governor - Ted Strickland
• Ohio Lieutenant Governor - Lee Fisher
• Ohio Secretary of State
• Ohio Attorney General

• Ballotpedia is building its community pages. Jump in!
• The Ohio Project is where to find out about building Ohio information on Ballotpedia.